In a move that has generated significant controversy, Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the high-profile murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, has joined the Shiv Sena in Jalna, Maharashtra. This development comes just ahead of the state assembly elections, scheduled for November 20.
Pangarkar, a former Jalna municipal councillor, was arrested in August 2018 and accused of involvement in Lankesh’s assassination in September 2017. He was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court earlier this year. Now, he has joined the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and has been appointed as the chief of the Jalna assembly poll campaign.
The decision to welcome Pangarkar into the party has been met with criticism. Lankesh, a prominent left-leaning journalist, was known for her outspoken views and was a vocal critic of right-wing ideologies. Her murder in 2017 sent shockwaves through the nation and led to a lengthy investigation.
Pangarkar’s joining of the Shiv Sena, a party with a history of right-wing stances, has raised eyebrows and fueled concerns about the party’s commitment to upholding justice in the Lankesh murder case.
The party’s leader, Arjun Khotkar, has confirmed that Pangarkar is interested in contesting the upcoming assembly election from Jalna. However, the final decision on seat allocation within the ruling alliance, comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, is yet to be finalized.
The current assembly member for Jalna is Kailash Gorantyal from the Congress party. It remains to be seen how Pangarkar’s entry into the fray will affect the electoral dynamics in the region.
The inclusion of Pangarkar, an accused in a murder case that has garnered national attention, in the Shiv Sena’s election campaign is a significant development. It underscores the complexities of the political landscape in Maharashtra and the potential for controversies to emerge in the run-up to the assembly elections. This situation is likely to continue to attract media attention and public scrutiny as the campaign progresses.